Many people never think about the intricacies of the mail system. Even less know the difference between the postal system and couriers. For one thing, the postal office is a government department for delivering mail. Courier services, however, are companies that deliver as needed by their customers. There is a long history of courier services throughout history. Here are the top ten interesting facts you may not have known about courier services.
1.
Couriers have existed as long as civilization has existed. While this is true, the first recorded courier was in Ancient Egypt around the year 2400 BC. It was common for pharaohs to use couriers to communicate with others.
2.
Wells Fargo was the first official courier service in the United States. This was before it was a finance company focusing on banking, investment, and money lending.
3.
In 1907, two teenagers started the American Messenger Company. Today that company is called the United Parcel Service or UPS. It is the largest courier service in the world.
4.
In the middle ages, royal courts had couriers specifically to handle their political correspondence. These members of the court were paid a little above the average laborer of that time.
5.
Over 15 million packages are delivered using courier services on a daily basis. And that’s low-balling. Some say as many as 25 million packages are delivered using courier services daily.
6.
Fleet Couriers opened their doors in 1996 and has operated through the American Northeast ever since.
7.
In order to deliver medical supplies and equipment, a courier service must be HIPAA, OSHA, and DOT compliant.
8.
Though the word “mail” is a derivative of the word “male”, it has nothing to do with gender. The word “male” also used to mean “traveling bag”.
9.
Between the years of 1927 and 2003, the UK used the London Underground as a “Mail Rail”. Unfortunately, it was shut down when it became more expensive than alternatives.
10.
Chuck Noland, Tom Hanks’s character in Castaway, worked for the company FedEx.
Who would’ve thought the courier industry could have so many fun little tidbits. For courier services in the Northeast, contact Fleet Couriers at 800-734-9309 or visit them online.